Retro Review: ‘Planet Of The Apes’: More Than An Ending

By

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July 28, 2016

SPOILER ALERT

Planet of the Apes is hailed as one of the greatest science fiction movies of all time. It has been referenced in modern culture on countless occasions and parodied to the point everyone knows the brief musical number from The Simpsons (“Dr. Zaius, Dr. Zaius”). A sound clip of it is featured as part of the opening for the Monkeys Fighting Robots podcast. The real question is, does it deserve all the attention?

The answer to this is yes it does but not in the way most people think. When others think of this film they usually associate it with the infamous ending. This film is more than simply one of the best twist endings in cinema. It is a deep look at society and culture which holds up even today.

Writing

The story follows a team of astronauts on an experimental flight. They are awoken from their hibernation to find they have flown off course and arrived on a distant planet. As they start to explore the crew finds the planet is a nightmare, one where apes are in control and man is the lower species. The Captain of the exploration, Taylor (Charlton Heston) must find a way to stay alive amongst this new race which views him as being inferior or some as some kind of mutant.

Though the film is remembered more for the ending, there are a lot of great themes which are explored in the movie which help to make it such essential viewing. Concepts such as a stranger in strange land and being unable to understand what modern society is talking about. How those in power can sometimes not have the best interest of the individual in mind and will do what they can to maintain status quo. How even when presented with cold hard facts, some will cling to what they know instead of trying to embrace change. All of these themes and ideas can be related to life today and this film was made more than 40 years ago.

Directing

Director Franklin J. Schaffner (Patton) really had something in mind when he made this film. From the landscape which was used to where the film ends up, everything seems perfectly set up and detailed. It really makes it feel like he had the entire project under tight control.

The plot and direction really makes it feel like an alien world. Except for a hint here and there, Schaffer, really did fantastic job of masking the idea it was Earth the entire time. There was enough fake clues spread throughout the film which could make someone think the movie was indeed taking place on another planet and the crew had been knocked off course on their way home. Unfortunately, everyone knows the big reveal at the end of the movie but if someone has never seen the film and if they never seen any parodies of it, then the film does have a great deal of shock potential in it.

Music

The orchestral music in the film is well paced and poignant. When the setting requires the music to be chilling it is. When it needs to be a driving force for the action it delivers. There are a few moments which are more silent than they need to be which do feel like they could benefit from a bit more accompaniment but these moments are few and far between. Overall, it’s a memorial score which fans of orchestral soundtracks should probably make sure is in there collections.

Acting

The acting in this film is top notch but Charlton Heston steals the show as Taylor. He comes off as a mixture of desperate and frustrated which really makes the viewer feel sympathy for his situation. Yet at the same time there are moments where he keeps a cool head and finds ways to figure out what needs to be done next. It’s the type of performance which makes him a character so memorable to the fans.

Another standout performance in the movie comes from Maurice Evans as Dr. Zaius. He delivers the perfect mix of unsympathetic and egotistical which makes it seem like he truly has no regard for Taylor and his actions. Dr. Zaius looks at him as simply a human who has managed to learn a new trick and he will not allow such a creature to destroy all he controls.

Production

The production work which went into this film is amazing. It needs to be pointed out this was all accomplished without CGI. Instead, the entire look and feel of the film was accomplished through the use of the make-up and by employing creative locations for shooting. This was all which was needed to make it seem like an alien planet.

The makeup and other prosthetics were accomplished by John Chambers. This name may ring a bell to any who have seen the movie Argo where he was featured. He was played in the film by John Goodman and showed on top of doing great effects he also was willing to go the extra mile for others when needed. He received an Oscar for the effects he achieved in this film and he deserved it.

The film is a must see for fans of Science Fiction, intense acting, and great effects. If you haven’t taken the time to check out this classic film you are truly missing out.

Planet of the Apes was presented by Fathom Events, through a showing of the TCM Big Screen Classics. The event featured a special interview with Dr. Zaius himself.

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Golden Age Marvel Comics: Familiar Names with Unfamiliar Faces

By

Michael Bedford

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July 28, 2016

My first article on Golden Age Marvel Comics gives an introduction to the big players in Timely Comics. I talk about The Human Torch, The Sub-Mariner, and The Angel, who all first appeared in Marvel Comics #1 (1939). Captain America and Bucky didn’t make their first appearance until Captain America Comics #1 published in 1941 (more on their origins here). The two-year gap between 1939 and 1941, though, saw some more familiar names, among forgettable characters like Terry Vance.

Taking a brief glance at the roster of Golden Age heroes, one could easily err, thinking Timely only published hits. I The Timely Comics Watchamacallit, though, am unfamiliar with brief glances. Only in-depth investigations will do. I watched Electro, The Falcon, The Black Widow, and The Vision appear in Golden Age Marvel Comics. And, they’re vastly different from their counterparts featured in MCU movies or in Silver, Bronze, or Modern Age comics. Read on, True Believers, all will become clear.

Golden Age Marvel Comics – Electro, the Marvel of the Age

Spider-Man fans are likely to have the most fleshed-out idea of the Silver, Bronze, and Modern Age version(s) of Electro. For those who don’t know him, Spidey’s Electro is a variably powerful villain who can absorb and manipulate electricity. Electro puts the webhead through his paces, but generally falls when Spider-Man puts on insulated boots and gloves. The Electro featured in Golden Age Marvel Comics is another thing, accent on thing, altogether.

Electro, the Marvel of the Age, first appeared in Marvel Mystery Comics #4, cover date February 1940. Created by Steve Dahlman, Electro is a super-powerful robot invented by Professor Zog in an effort to heal the world. Zog recruits a team of young men to operate his “wonder robot” remotely. The nigh-indestructible automaton, with Zog and company at the helm, bests aliens, mobsters, and foreign despots.

Beyond simply having a familiar name, though, Electro shares a number of similarities with one of Marvel Comics and the MCU’s best known heroes, the Invincible Iron Man created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby, and Don Heck. Both characters sport red and gold armour, although Iron Man’s first appearances showed him in silver and then gold duds, and both are products of mechanical ingenuity rather than inborn super-powers.

The key difference between the two ideas is that Electro is piloted remotely, whereas Iron Man is operated by someone inside the armour (generally Tony Stark). The obvious narrative benefit of putting someone inside the armour is the added opportunity for dramatic tension: the armour’s occupant may be injured or killed where the robot could always be rebuilt.

Golden Age Marvel Comics – The Falcon

That’s right, The Falcon was fighting crime before Captain America. Unlike the Silver, Bronze, and Modern age Falcon who eventually donned Cap’s uniform, though, the Falcon in Golden Age Marvel comics didn’t fly or have a falcon for a sidekick. Instead, The Falcon is Carl Burgess, a ” … brilliant young assistant district attorney … ” who makes his first appearance on the cover of Daring Mystery Comics #5 (cover date June 1940). More like his Golden Age contemporary Batman than his Silver Age counterpart, the Golden Age Falcon uses his fists, his wits, and sometimes a .45 to outsmart murderers and thieves.

Golden Age Marvel Comics – The Black Widow

Appearing for the first time in Mystic Comics #4 (cover date August 1940) is the Golden Age Black Widow. Arguably as dissimilar to her Silver, Bronze, and Modern Age counterpart as Electro is to its, the Golden Age Black Widow is essentially a servant of Satan.

Claire Voyant, a popular medium, performs a public séance but disturbs her guests, the Wagner family, when her sitting room floods with red light. Old Mrs. Wagner says she came for a séance not a lesson in witchcraft. Voyant becomes enraged and lays the curse of Satan on the entire family. After his mother and sister die in a car crash on their way home from the ill-fated séance, young James Wagner, goaded on by Satan, swears vengeance on Voyant.

Vengeance, in James’s mind at least, is a dish best served piping hot. He returns that night to Voyant’s home and shoots her in the heart. As Voyant dies, she swears vengeance upon James. James runs out of the house when Satan himself appears and takes Voyant with him to Hell.

After Satan gives Claire the nickel tour of the realm of eternal damnation, he transforms her into the Black Widow. The Black Widow’s first act is to take vengeance on James Wagner. Employing Wagner’s philosophy of serving up hot vengeance, she meets him on a dock, and, killing him in the process, brands an image of a black widow into his forehead. Reconvening in Hell, Satan tells the Black Widow to prowl the earth in search of sinners to bring to Hell.

Golden Age Marvel Comics – The Vision

Finally, the Golden Age Vision first appeared in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 (cover date November 1940). Where the Silver, Bronze, and Modern Age Vision is a “synthezoid,” The Golden Age Vision is an entity from a “supernatural” dimension. The Golden Age Vision, who also goes by the name “Aarkus,” enters our world by way of Professor Enoch Mason’s “dimension smasher”. Even with the dimensional barrier smashed, though, Aarkus cannot enter or exit our world without the presence of smoke.

Professor Mason, we find out, took loans from mobsters in order to build his dimension smasher. The mobsters insist that Mason pay what he owes them or suffer the consequences. The Vision, like his Golden Age contemporaries, has no time for mobsters. He starts his crime-fighting career, when a mobster lights his cigarette, by murdering two of the gang (freezing one to death and making the other lose control of his car), and hogtying the rest for the police.

His otherworldly origins aside, the Golden Age Vision with his sometimes colloquial vernacular and passionate notions of justice seems more “human” than his Silver Age synthezoid counterpart. The Modern Age and MCU adaptations of The Vision, though, eventually develop into better humans than most.

Golden Age Marvel Comics – So Much More …

Well, True Believers, I hope you’ve enjoyed this introduction to Timely Comics’ familiar names with unfamiliar faces. Don’t forget to check out my articles on the Golden Age Civil War, the dawn of the Marvel Universe, and the top ten Timely Comics B-Listers and sidekicks!

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Review: ‘Micronauts’ #4: Karza Begins

By

Anthony Wendel

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July 28, 2016

The MICRONAUTS are caught between a rock and a hard place–or, in this case, a FORCE COMMANDER and a BARON KARZA. With their universe collapsing around them, the MICRONAUTS must survive a deadly civil war while the cataclysmic Entropy Storm keeps expanding. And whatever enters the Entropy Storm is never seen again!

Writing

The series finally pulls itself up by taking a look at a character’s back story. This issue looks into the rise of Baron Karza to power and his time serving both the Emperor and his fame hungry son, The Red Falcon. This plot showcases just how evil and formidable the Baron is, and did so better than the previous issue did when the rogue fended off an assassination attempt. Now, Karza feels like he would trample on any who stand in his way of obtaining his goals.

Writer Cullen Bunn has found a way to make Baron Karza seem threatening and help to shed some light on why he does what he does. Considering he is supposed to be one of the central villains of the series, this was a very strategic move. This attachment and intrigue about the characters was what the book was missing and is a welcomed sight to behold.

Artwork

The action scenes in the book are very engaging and the scenes of dialogue have the perfect use of shadow to make it look like everyone is scheming as they are talking. Artist Max Dunbar does a fantastic job. The part which really stands out in the book is a two page splash depicting an epic battle.

Conclusion

Taking roots of the villain’s past helps to sell him as the cold and calculating villain he is supposed to be. Baron Karza is compelling and interesting. Now if the same can be done for the main characters, this comic will have something going for it.

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REVIEW: ‘Café Society’ stiff, but appealingly sentimental

By

Felix Albuerne

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July 28, 2016

Café Society, the latest from writer/director Woody Allen, works hard to emulate for the viewer the feeling of reading a novel. It also works hard at ‘c’est la vie’ sentimentality, a sweet, stinging sorrow about love unrequited and dreams unfulfilled.

Some of it works due to the winsome cast and Allen’s trademark wit. But some of Allen’s other stylistic choices for the film feel labored, and at times the film seems to lose narrative focus.

Woody Allen film lovers will no doubt be more forgiving of Café Society‘s faults. But for others, those faults are sure to drag down what could have been a more poignant and entertaining film.

What’s it about?

In Café Society, Jesse Eisenberg (Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice) plays Bobby Dorfman, a sweet Jewish kid from the Bronx with dreams of making a life for himself in 1930’s Los Angeles. His mom, Rose (Jeannie Berlin), puts in a word for him with her brother, powerful Hollywood agent Phil Stern (Steve Carell), hoping Phil can help Bobby find a job.

Phil eventually proves to be Bobby’s introduction to the area’s movers and shakers, providing a glimpse of what most consider “the glamorous life.” But more importantly, Phil introduces Bobby to his assistant Vonnie (Kristen Stewart), and the two become fast friends.

In spending time with Vonnie, Bobby finds himself smitten by her unpretentious charm and strong sense of self. She wants to make it in Hollywood, like so many other gals from the Midwest who move to L.A. do. But she sees the superficiality and emptiness of the glamorous life plain as day, and Bobby comes to love her for that insight.

Their romance is not without complications, however. Soon, with his hopes dashed and his heart broken, Bobby returns to New York and goes to work running a night club with his gangster older brother, Ben (Corey Stoll, Ant-Man).

In time, Bobby seems to find his place in the world. He also finds love again in the form of socialite Veronica (Blake Lively, The Shallows), and the two marry after a swift but sincere courtship.

All seems well; that is, until Bobby’s past life in L.A. finds its way to New York, and reminders of days gone by prove impossible to leave behind.

Vintage Woody Allen

Allen himself provides voice over narration in Café Society. Thus, he guides the narrative of the film, both literally and figuratively, and his signature tone, wit, and comic timing are everywhere.

Also here are his lifelong preoccupations with Jewish family life and familial ties, gangsters, self-absorbed celebrities, and love, bittersweet love. What would a Woody Allen film be without such themes?

However, in crafting Café Society in the way he might craft a Jazz Age novel, Allen overreaches. The long-winded, prose-style narration feels stuffy and archaic, rather than timely and nostalgic, as it was no doubt meant to.

Strong cast, beautiful costume design

What does benefit Café Society is strong casting, starting with Jesse Eisenberg. It’s not often anymore that Eisenberg opts to play naive and kind-hearted, so its a treat to see it here. Carell is also fun to watch here as non-stop wheeler-and-dealer Phil, who claims to know everyone who’s everyone but didn’t know his own nephew until Bobby showed up in his office.

The film’s female leads deliver strong performances, as well. Both Stewart and Lively are called upon to project a classic American charm characterized by perceptiveness and purity of spirit. The intent clearly was for them both to be sympathetic characters audiences could root for, and their efforts pay off.

Of course, the characters meant to serve as caricature in Café Society earn the biggest chuckles here. Jeannie Berlin’s Rose is the archetypal Jewish mom so often found in Allen productions, while Corey Stoll gives an understated performance as the loving son and brother who happens to whack people for a living. There’s one in every family, right?

Costume and production design also stand out in Café Society. The suits, the evening gowns, and settings here bring to life an immersive, gloriously nostalgic vision of old time glamour. Don’t be surprised if this film comes up in conversations for Best Costumes and Production Design, even with awards season months away.

Worth seeing?

For devotees of Woody Allen’s long filmography and favorite themes, Café Society is simply a must. It’s not his best in recent years — that distinction still belongs to Midnight in Paris. It’s not even his funniest, or his most sentimental.

But it is a charming and engrossing film thanks to its cast and unmistakable Woody Allen touch. It’s a wistful flight into the land of dreams come and gone, a place we all get to know sometime in our adult lives.

It’s about the sad sweetness of “what might have been.” Spending time with the feelings those words evoke isn’t too bad, every now and again.

Café Society

Starring Jeannie Berlin, Steve Carell, Jesse Eisenberg, Blake Lively, Parker Posey, Kristen Stewart, Corey Stoll, Ken Stott. Directed by Woody Allen.
Running Time: 96 minutes
Rated PG-13 for some violence, a drug reference, suggestive material and smoking.

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Han Solo Won’t Show Up In ‘Rogue One’

By

Aric Sweeny

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July 28, 2016

When the young Han Solo film was announced awhile back, many fans began to wonder if we’ll see the character in Rogue One, as the timeline matches up. Adding to the speculation, one of the reasons behind casting the character so early before the movie hits theaters (releases in 2018) was supposedly to shoot a cameo for Rogue One. Well, that rumor has now been officially confirmed as false by Gareth Edwards himself.

“I’m not sure I’m allowed to do this but I think I should. I can put to bed, Han Solo is not in the movie.”

Are you disappointed? Glad? Be sure to let us know in the comments section of this article.

Resistance fighters (Felicity Jones, Diego Luna) embark on a daring mission to steal the Empire’s plans for the Death Star.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hits theaters on December 16.

Source: ComicBook.com.

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Review: ‘Sharknado: The 4th Awakens’ Is Ridiculous But So Fun

By

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

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July 28, 2016

Sharknado: The 4th Awakens, directed by Anthony C. Ferrante, debuts this Sunday on the SyFy channel. The Sharknado franchise has quickly become a cultural phenomenon that transcends most conventional wisdom. The last three films have smashed viewership records for the Syfy network, and this one is sure to follow suit.

These films shouldn’t be judged by same measuring stick that we use to evaluate conventional releases, obviously. Ferrante isn’t trying to win the next Academy Award or even produce a quality product; for him, it’s all about good old fashion cheesy fun with a dash of horror. With that in mind, Sharknado: The 4th Awakens is a cheese lovers paradise. Rarely does a film combine homages to iconic films along with C-level action and special effects. The film is ridiculous, the narrative will cause people to question their sanity, but it’s still a lot of stupid fun.

It’s been five years since the last Sharknado attack. Billionaire high-tech guru Aston Reynolds (Tommy Davidson … yes, the guy from In Living Color) has saved us all from the Sharknado phenomenon by inventing something called an “astro-pod” that shoots isotopes into these twisters. Reynolds aims to capitalize on his newfound fame by opening an ornate Sharknado themed hotel on the Las Vegas strip. Fin Shepard (Ian Ziering) decides to leave Kansas along with his cousin, Gemini (Masiela Lusha) to attend a family reunion. The plan is for them to meet up with his son Matt (Cody Linley), his girlfriend Gabrielle (Imani Hakim), his father Gilbert Shepard (David Hasselhoff), and then attend the reunion. Fin seems to have turned his focus from slaying sharks to family first following the “death” of his wife April (Tara Reid who apparently is alive as it’s revealed in the first ten seconds of the trailer). Of course, all hell breaks lose.

One of the highlights of this film is the commitment exhibited by the cast to maintaining the campy nature of the movie. Everyone seems keenly aware that they aren’t making a serious film or even a quality film by any real metric, but they are making a movie that is as much ridiculous as it is entertaining. Ferrante demonstrates that there is joy in the absurd. For example, during the initial Sharknado attack, a group of Chippendale dancers take off their shirts and use their gyrating dance moves to combat the airborne menace. Watching this “action” sequence is flabbergasting, but hypnotizing at the same time, as one after another the pelvic thrusts cause the sharks to fly away from the hotel.

In Texas, as Fin and the family are trying to get away from this Sharknado, they happen to stumble upon the only chainsaw store for miles. Yes, a chainsaw store (which happens to be run by Dog The Bounty Hunter). As they run outside to stand their ground, it’s increasingly clear that the group will need a bigger weapon. So, of course, the store happens to have a piece of construction equipment affixed with a chainsaw. Sharknado logic.

Thunder Levin should be commend for developing a script that may have a razor thin narrative but is so full of entertaining moments. From homages to Star Wars, to The Wizard Of Oz, to borrowing famous phrases from the Las Vegas Tourism Board, his “narrative” (again using that term very loosely here) will make you giggle and leave you stunned, because Levin doesn’t believe in “not going there.” In the midst of the first Sharknado attack, Fin and Gabrielle fall 50 floors down in a car and get swept up by the high winds. Instead of accepting fate, Fin decides to windsurf using the power of the storm to help ease their decent. That isn’t even the most outrageous part. Gemini sees the car falling so she grabs a parachute and does what any rational human being would do and jumps off the building. Somehow, Gemini beats the car to the surface (Sharknado logic) and gets in the car when it lands. When fin hits the ground, he sees that Gemini made it and asks how she did it. She responds: ” What happens in Vegas, stays in vegas.” Groan.

The performances in this film are good and the cameos are plentiful (Sorry, I have been sworn to secrecy). This is the type of film that no one should overthink and just enjoy the mayhem as it unfolds. We sometimes forget that enjoyment and films go hand and hand.

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Review: ‘Captain Fantastic’ Mortensen Dazzles In Career Defining Role

By

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

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July 28, 2016

Captain Fantastic, written and directed by Matt Ross, asks audiences how extreme is your love for family? Are you willing to do whatever it takes, regardless of the sacrifice, to ensure a better life for loved ones?

Ben Cash ( Viggo Mortensen) is willing to uproot his life and move into the middle of the Oregon wilderness with his wife to provide a stable home life for their six children and provide peace for his wife’s troubled mind. Ross develops a film that will give you (as a good friend of mind would state) “all the feels.” Captain Fantastic is a film that contains a rainbow of emotions that will illuminate audiences and uplift their souls. It provides the highest of highs and the lowest of lows for the Cash clan. Ross shows us all families are far from perfect, and he accomplishes this by perfectly capturing the essence of what “family” truly means.

The Cash family leads a very simple existence. They live in the middle of the woods, farming, hunting, and doing daily chores to continue their survival. Ben leads his children through a routine of regular exercise and daily studies, which they do during their down time. As the film continues, we come to find out that his wife Leslie (Trim Miller) has been in a mental hospital for a few months dealing with a profound depression. Shortly after this revelation, Ben gets word that his wife has, in fact, committed suicide. This sobering moment leads to most of the family leaving the compound and heading towards New Mexico so that they can attend the funeral.

Ross crafts an engaging narrative. While the Cash children perform their daily rituals with military-like precision, the movie has less concern with what they do and more about what they are each going through. Each child is in the midst of an impressionable period in their lives, and all are struggling with the idea that Mom’s never going to be around again. As individuals we tend to learn how to cope with issues from seeing how others deal with similar problems; but here, these children haven’t been around other people. The social norms are foreign to them and emotionally stunt them. Is it possible that love this extreme can be a detriment?

Cinematographer Stéphane Fontaine showcases the beauty of the Oregon wilderness. My favorite moment had to have been the opening scene that involving the oldest son Bo (George McKay) hunting a deer, his rite of passage. Fontaine keeps the camera in close, tight shots on Bo and the deer, engaging the audience almost immediately. She perfectly captures the intensitiy of the hunt while capturing the look of detertmination on Bo’s face. When he does eventually kill the deer, the focus drifts from the actual kill to the aftermath, as we see the whole Cash clam emerge from the woods, camflouged from head to toe.

All that is great, but the biggest takeaway from Captain Fantastic is the performance of the Captain himself, Viggo Mortensen. A very soulful performance as the patriach of the Cash family, Mortensen exhibits authenticity, and is both magnificent and heartbreaking. Ben has spent the last 17 years trying to steer these children in a way that he thought was appropriate, but now he’s coming to grips with his intense style of parenting, and that it may have ultimately done more harm than good. This is a masterful performance that will certainly be considered one of the 10 best at year’s end.

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MTV Classic Channel Kicks Off This Monday

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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July 28, 2016

This Monday, MTV will launch MTV Classic, a channel anyone who grew up in the 80s and 90s has wanted for a long time. Even if they didn’t realize they wanted it.

The Twitter page @MTVClassic has started going us hints about what will be on the channel, including music videos, Unplugged (can’t wait to watch Alice in Chains Unplugged again), Daria and, the sacred cow, Beavis and Butthead:

#MTVClassic channel launches on Monday with eps of #Unplugged, #BeavisandButthead, #Daria, and wayyyy more. pic.twitter.com/vH27c6oaGj

— MTV Classic (@MTVClassic) July 28, 2016

We heard you like music videos, so we're airing 10 hours of them every day from 3am-1pm starting Monday. WE GOT U pic.twitter.com/J3uiZppSvD

— MTV Classic (@MTVClassic) July 28, 2016

Now, don’t forget about Headbanger’s Ball in all this. Hell, I’d be cool if we ran a little TRL out there, maybe on the weekends.

This is exciting stuff. How long have we all (all of us, except maybe people who watch Teen Mom?) been clamoring for MTV to return to its roots? It’s taken them long enough, but rest assured I will fly by the channel Monday.

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Review: ‘Hunt For The Wilderpeople’ A Fascinating Look At Love

By

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

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July 28, 2016

Hunt For The Wilderpeople, directed by Takia Waititi, is a fascinating examination of love and its effect on human nature. Takia examines the life of 13-year old Ricky, who has never had a family offer to be his foster parents, until now. How does a child react to the journey from years and years of rejection, to the sudden adoration every minute of the day? This film strips all cliches away, and we get a raw look at the impact love can have on a child.

Ricky immediately connects with the woman he calls Aunty Bella (Rima Te Wiata), but can’t quite connect with the man the house, whom he refers to as Uncle Hec (Sam Neill). Ricky is labeled as a problem child who doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere and living with Bella and Hec is his very last chance at not becoming a permanent member of the local orphanage. Ricky is in shock at first. Bella and Hec live off of the land; they kill what they need to eat and use the fur for blankets. Very quickly, they power of Bella’s love starts to change young Ricky, but then tragedy strikes. Ricky and Uncle Hec have to go on the run through the bush to avoid the overzealous social services who want to take Ricky now and place him in a state-run orphanage.

One of the highlights of this film was the direction of Takia Waititi. Whether it’s been Boy or Eagle vs. Shark, Waititi’s films always have strongly defined characters, and all of them seem to know where they stand socially. These characters in his films also exhibit a level of seriousness that allows them to be very matter of fact when dealing with the absurdities of life. Ricky and Hec are certainly examples of this. Ricky is a boy who’s never had a family that loves him. Hec is an elderly man who’s lived his life out in the bush and has never made time for children. When both are faced with the absurd notion that child services are going to remove Ricky from Hec’s home, they both respond in such a way that’s unique to each of them.

The comedy in the film isn’t over the top, so that does add a degree of realism. Waititi relies heavily on the comedy being channeled through the characters. His characters are always idiosyncratic and rather than relying on a set scene to garner a laugh, the characters themselves provide the humor. Of course, those laughs are contingent on the film’s narrative being expertly crafted, and lucky for us all, Waititi accomplishes this by striking a balance between the light and the poignant moments.

The cinematography in the film is stellar, which comes as no surprise with Lachlan Milne behind the camera. Going back as far Uninhabited, Milne flourishes when he shoots outdoors. He has this ability to shoot outdoors that not only respects the vastness of the characters surroundings but also highlights it’s sheer beauty. One scene that sticks out is when Ricky runs away for the very first time in the film. Instead of focusing the shot on Ricky as he scampered away, Milne backs the shot off just enough so that we could see just the enormity of the wilderness that was surrounding this home. We not only got the sense of Ricky not wanting to be with his new foster family but we also see just how vast the wilderness is surrounding their home.

Sam Neill gives an outstanding performance as Uncle Hec, but the story of this film as to be Julian Dennison. Dennison’s performance reminds me of the type of acting that we saw out of Jacob Trembly in Room last year. Both performances are very raw, powerful, and rich with an authenticity that we could be talking about this young actor again during awards season.

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‘Suicide Squad’ Behind The Scenes Featurette Released

By

Aric Sweeny

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July 28, 2016

A brand new behind the scenes featurette for Suicide Squad has been released, titled “It’s Good To Be Bad”. Check it out down below.

The featurette includes some scenes from the film that we’ve seen in trailers and TV spots, along with some behind the scenes action of David Ayer (director) working with the cast.

“Intelligence officer Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) decides to assemble a team of dangerous, incarcerated supervillains for a top-secret mission. Figuring it has nothing to lose, the U.S. government supplies weapons to Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney) and other despicable inmates. Dubbed the Suicide Squad, the united criminals must defeat a mysterious and powerful entity while contending with the antics of the diabolical Joker (Jared Leto).”

See Suicide Squad in theaters starting August 5. Tickets are on sale now.

Source: ComicBook.com’s Youtube Channel.

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